| If you have been in sales for any period of time | | | | any of you can remember, then work together |
| you have run into sales objections. Objections are | | | | to develop an effective response for each |
| what happen when you ask a prospect for an | | | | objection. |
| order and the prospect responds with anything | | | | 2. DOCUMENT objections and responses |
| other than "Yes." | | | | Put the results of your brainstorming session into |
| My experience has been that most objections | | | | a document and make it a "living document" |
| arise because a salesperson hasn't done a | | | | (which means the document should receive |
| thorough enough job of sales opportunity | | | | frequent updates over time). When any of your |
| qualification. | | | | company's salespeople hear an objection that is |
| NOTE: For more information on the topic of sales | | | | not listed in the document, add it to the |
| opportunity qualification, read The Secret to | | | | document. Bring up these new objections in your |
| Closing More Sales and How to Avoid Wasting | | | | sales meetings, discuss the best way(s) to |
| Time on Prospects Who Can't or Won't Buy. | | | | respond to the objections, then add the |
| How do you become expert at sales opportunity | | | | responses to the document as well. |
| qualification? | | | | 3. PRACTICE responding to rejections |
| If you do a great job of answering the following | | | | You and your fellow sales team members should |
| questions and build the answers into your | | | | hold each other ACCOUNTABLE for learning |
| everyday sales approach, you will consistently do | | | | EVERY objection and how to respond to the |
| a superior job of sales opportunity qualification...and | | | | objection effectively. Get in the habit of giving |
| thereby receive fewer objections! | | | | each other "pop quizzes" where you |
| - Which business problems do your products and | | | | spontaneously suggests objections to each other |
| services solve? | | | | and practice providing effective responses to the |
| - Does your prospect have any of these business | | | | objections. Over time you will learn how to |
| problems? | | | | respond to each objection in a manner that is |
| - What is the impact of these business problems | | | | comfortable and natural for you. You will also learn |
| on your prospect, both professionally and | | | | where the gaps are in your sales opportunity |
| personally? | | | | qualification processes that cause prospects to |
| - How significant is the impact? | | | | raise objections in the first place! |
| - Is the impact significant enough to enable the | | | | 4. PROACTIVELY address objections |
| prospect to justify making an investment to | | | | If one or more objections come up frequently |
| make the impact "go away"? | | | | when you and your fellow salespeople work with |
| - Can the prospect quantify (i.e., attach dollar | | | | prospects, figure out how to proactively address |
| figures to) the impact of their business problems? | | | | these objections during your sales calls. In other |
| - How does this quantified impact compare to the | | | | words, you should bring up the objections |
| cost of your products or services? | | | | yourselves and respond to them rather than |
| - Does the prospect understand exactly how | | | | waiting for your prospects to raise them. |
| your products or services will make their business | | | | Conclusion |
| problems "go away"? What else can you do to | | | | If you learn 1) how to do a great job of sales |
| overcome objections? | | | | opportunity qualification, and 2) how to respond to |
| 1. BRAINSTORM objections | | | | objections effectively, you should dramatically |
| Sit down with your sales manager and the other | | | | improve your close ratio and your overall sales |
| members of your sales team and do some | | | | performance! |
| brainstorming. Write down every objection that | | | | |